Tales Our Abuelita Told by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada

 

• Campoy, F. Isabel and Ada, Alma Flor. Tales Our Abuelitas Told: a Hispanic Folktale Collection. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. Ages 5-10. 

    Tales Our Abuelas Told is a collection of 12 Hispanic Folktales by authors F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. Their purpose is to share with readers stories passed on by grandmothers of different cultures, including some tales they grew up hearing from their grandmothers. Each tale is followed by an about section that provides insight into the historical context of the folktale and the author's choices. Each folktale feels thoughtfully researched and selected because of the care the authors put into credit the origins and ensuring the audience understand the context. The collection opens with a welcome section discussing the geographic and historical context of where the folktales come from. It includes details such as what was happening during the time and what cultures influenced each other. Both authors of this collection are of Hispanic descent and have experience writing children's book. Alma Flor Ada is also an award winning author and has a background in education. 
    These folktales are appropriate for young readers and recommended for those 5-10 years of age. They can be read to as a bed time stories consectuatively or they can be read independently. These tales can also be incorporated into school lessons where research can be done or a project can be completed to accompany each story. Each tale has its own distinct art style illustrated by other Hispanic authors. That being said, the illustrations are few in between and are not integral to the story, but they are very vibrant and eye-catching. Overall, this is a great own voices addition to collections for kids because the collection not only includes muti-cultural stories, but credits their origins, provides context, and teachers readers about traditional Hispanic tales.